Page 70 of No Ordinary Love

"Yes."

"But you won't have sex with me." I could see the determination on his face.

"I love you, Amara." There was longing in his voice, and I didn't know what I was waiting for. The man had apologized. He had shown me who he was, yet I was unable to give him the words he needed.

"How does Italian sound for dinner?" I breathed.

"Sounds perfect."

He didn't push me. He didn't ask for more than I could give. This was a big step for Lucas—taking it slow, not bulldozing his way in, which was usually his style when he wanted something. And I had no doubt he wanted me; no man would put up with my bullshit if he didn't.

But it isn't bullshit, Amara. You're protecting yourself. Stop feeling guilty about taking care of yourself.

We ended up at Le Farfalle, another old favorite of ours. It was elegant without being pretentious. Familiar scents of garlic, fresh basil, and roasted tomatoes mingled in the air, accompanied by the soft notes of jazz playing in the background.

Lucas ordered a bottle of a deep and earthy Super Tuscan wine. As our glasses were filled, I realized how long it had been since we'd done this—just sat together, enjoying each other's company without expectations or unresolved feelings pressuring us.

"Here's looking at you,Tesoro." Lucas lifted his glass to me.

"We'll always have Charleston," I remarked and touched my glass to his. "This is fun. Being with you is…nice."

"I feel the same." I drank some wine and looked at him tentatively.

"What?" he sighed.

"I have a question."

"Okay."

"You said that you enjoyed our sex life the last time we…you know…."

"Ended up in bed together?"

"Yeah."

"Our sex life…our life in general was great, Amara. I just didn't know how to navigate my family. You can't imagine how sorry I—"

"No more apologies," I admonished. "We're done apologizing to each other. I wanted to know if you ever felt we were not adventurous enough."

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "You're doing this to arouse me and make me lose control, aren't you?"

I pulled back and gave him my most innocent look. "No. I'm genuinely curious." I paused and winked at him. "The losing control part is a side benefit."

He sipped his wine, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'd love to fuck you in public sometime where we're worried someone would catch us. Like…in the bathroom of a restaurant."

I swallowed.

"Or in your office at the college or mine. We'd have to be very quiet.Youget noisy, so," he dropped his voice and leaned closer, "you'll have to be silent when I'm inside you. I'll slide a finger inside your ass, the way you like it, and pound into you."

Okay, so he was better at this than I was. I was being playful, and he just took it for a spin around the room.

Thankfully, the waiter showed up to take our orders.

"I've missedthis," he told me. "Just being with you, talking."

"Without arguing," I agreed. "Or being angry or hurt or guilty."

He chuckled softly, a sound that sent a little thrill through me. "But we are horny."

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